After the End Theme
by Nikkisha16
Summary: A one-shot series that extends each episode of the Teen Titans television show beyond its ending. Build-up of BBRae. Length may vary. A/N: Events in this work are canon to "Teen Titans: Surfacing Shadows (Season Six)"
1. Divide and Conquer

**A/N:** **I'm sure plenty of you guys have wished certain episodes had more. More character interaction, more romance, more depth. It's not that we don't love it, it's just that it could be even better if it was just a LITTLE longer. Of course, shows have their allotted slots of time, and _Teen Titans_ did a great job while it ran. But while re-watching the series for the thousandth time, I found myself adding bits to each episode that I thought would have been nice additions to expand back stories or deepen relationships. Here are those bits - enjoy. (:)**

 **For those of you reading _Surfacing Shadows_ : These one shots do correlate to my version of season six, so you should definitely read these during the horrendously long waiting periods between updates.**

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Season One, Episode One: "Divide and Conquer"

Starfire threw away the remnants of the pudding of sadness with a smile. Shouting drew her attention to the television, where the boys were in the midst of playing a game of the video. Beast Boy was the one doing most of the shouting (or rather wailing, to be more accurate), presumably because he was not victorious. She did not mind, as this was the liveliest the green boy had been since Cyborg's brief period of resignation from the Titans. It had been clear to them all that he missed the older boy who had become his _lugrush_ , as her people would say.

Raven was reading on the seating area that lined the side opposite of the one used to prepare the food. The blue-cloaked girl had yet to voice a complaint about the noise, though each time she glanced towards the couch, her scowl softened upon catching sight of Cyborg. Giggling to herself, the redhead began removing some of the ingredients Galfore had sent to her once she'd been established in her new home. It was comforting to know that even her most reserved friend was joyous at the Titan's return.

"Tighten on the turn, nitro through the checkpoint, and boo-yah! Back in the lead, ha ha!"

Beast Boy growled in response to his best friend's cackling, pressing his own nitro button to catch up. But as he did so, a red futuristic car cut in front of him. He frantically shoved the joystick to the side as his own car propelled the other forward while simultaneously sending it skidding on to the grass. " _What_?!"

"Thanks for the boost, Beast Boy!" Robin howled gleefully, activating his own nitro to finally catch up to Cyborg. The younger boy's whines did make him feel slightly guilty, but winning was the only thing that mattered.

"My friends!" Starfire crowed, floating towards the three. "I have prepared a traditional dessert to celebrate Cyborg's return to the Teen Titans."

"Feed it to B.B., he's done," Cyborg grunted, narrowing his red eye as he heard Beast Boy try to scramble away. Just as he had planned, the green teen knocked into Robin, jolting him enough so that the metal man could reclaim his lead just as they whizzed by the finish line. "Boo-yah-ha-ha-ha!"

It was the masked Titan's turn to cry incredulously, "What?!" before he whirled on the changeling. "You made me lose!"

"Turnabout's fair play, dude!" Beast Boy stuck out his tongue, only for Robin swiftly grabbed him in a headlock. "Eep! Wait, wait, it was _Cy_ who set Star on me!"

"Please, I am confused. How has Friend Cyborg placed me on to you?"

The boy wonder froze for a moment at the potential meaning of the alien's words, allowing the now green snake to wriggle free. Turning to a whistling half-robot, his eyes widened beneath his mask as he accused, "You did plan that! Cheater!"

"Cheater? And what would you call that move you pulled on B, huh? Fair play?"

"Survival of the fittest."

"Hey!" Beast Boy squeaked, taking offense. "I'm the shapeshifter, so I know how that works. And what you did was _sooo_ not it, dude!"

Eyebrow twitching, Raven took note of the page number before snapping her book shut and rising to her feet. The sound immediately gained the attention of the others, and she told them in an irritated monotone, "It seems to me that Beast Boy is the only one that did not—or, more likely, could not—perform any underhanded tricks. So quit being such immature pinheads and let's just eat."

Reminded of the dessert she had made, Starfire decided it could wait until after they partook in their evening meal. It was still strange to her how the people of Earth ate three meals at different points in the day rather than two meals at moonset, but she assumed it was only to be expected of a species that had a single stomach and a planet that had a single moon.

They all sat down at the counter while Raven levitated the food out of the refrigerator (whose contents seemed to be turning an odd shade of blue). Robin, still irked about his loss, reminded Cyborg that quitting the Titans—no matter how brief—meant that he had to be reinitiated, which even brought a smile to Raven's face. Beast Boy snickered in glee as his _lugrush_ began protesting loudly between mouthfuls.

The redhead looked around at her friends and was once again so very grateful that of the six billion people inhabiting Earth, these four were the ones to seek her out. Even if the food was bland and the nights were dark, the Titans were nice. They had taught her that there was another word to describe her rather than _rutha_ , and Starfire could barely stay seated as a rush of happiness filled her. No matter how long they stayed divided, she and her friends could never be conquered.

And that, indeed, was very nice.


	2. Sisters

**A/N: Here's a little BBRae for you guys! I've written all the way out to episode five, so updates should be coming daily...until they don't anymore. And sorry for the republishing of the first episode - I wanted to change the title but couldn't figure out how, lol. xP**

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Season One, Episode Two: "Sisters"

Down the hall, Beast Boy came to a stop outside the door marked "Raven" and knocked frantically. It soon opened to reveal a cloaked face that did not shroud the scowl. "What."

"Look what I found!" he eagerly stated, pulling the large stuffed chicken from behind him. Seeing how the alien policemen had let Star keep the green moon diamond—since they'd tried to falsely arrest her and all—had reminder him of the carnival prize left abandoned on the wharf.

Raven groaned internally. _I thought I'd already gotten rid of that thing_. "If I wanted some dirty chicken, I'd just ask you to morph into one."

His ears drooped at her sarcasm, but he kept the animal held out for her to take. "It's not dirty; I washed it with soap and everything. C'mon, Rae, me and Cy won this prize for you! Don't put our hard earned money to waste."

"You two are the idiots that wasted it," she shot back, irked by how he kept shortening her name. Yes, it was something Beast Boy (and Cyborg) did with all of their names, but still. "And did you not use the monthly stipend Robin gives us?"

The green teen gulped and pulled at his collar, caught. "Um, well...geeze, just take the prize, dude—er, dudette! Haven't you ever gotten a present before?"

The sorceress stopped herself from gathering the dark energy necessary to send him to another dimension for calling her a "dudette" upon hearing the obviously rhetorical question. "No. I haven't."

Beast Boy's jaw dropped, but nothing came out as he realized how stiff Raven had become (for Raven, that is). "Well then...that's all the more reason to take this." _Even if it's from me, the not-friend you totally hate,_ he added silently to himself.

Violet eyes widened in surprise, and he took the chance and quickly shoved the chicken at her. When she automatically grabbed it in response, the changeling took off before he did something totally stupid, like blush. Geeze, he was so lame sometimes! A stupid carnival prize was the best he could do as a first present? _Way to go, goober._

"Beast Boy." His ears twitched, and he looked over his shoulder to see Raven tightly grasping the gigantic stuffed chicken. Her lips were tilted up in a barely noticeable manner, and they parted to say in a slightly livelier tone than before, "Thank you."

He knew he was blushing now and was grateful for the dark hall as he replied, "You're welcome."

His voice cracked embarrassingly, so he hurried off down the hall, listening intently for the sound of Raven's door sliding shut. Beast Boy grinned to himself once it did so, pumping a fist in the air and whispering, "Yes, yes, _yes_!"

Maybe he wasn't such a goober after all.


	3. Final Exam

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry it's been a couple of days since the last update! I got distracted by school (college isn't a joke, peoples), but I remembered and found the chance to post this. It's Robin-centric, with a little insight onto the team's various fighting styles. Hope you guys like it, and a big thanks to kinkyasf for favoriting and following _AtET_! :D**

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Season One, Episode Three: "Final Exam"

Stirring the skillet as he whistled, Robin waited for the arrival of his team. They were all hitting the shower after the long training session he'd put them through. He rolled his eyes remembering Beast Boy's whining during the cardio portion; if only he knew what Batman would've made them do. Then again, Robin wasn't Batman and refused to even be associated with him. Sure, he'd kept the moniker for recognizability, but he didn't have to follow the Bat's rules.

He would be Robin, and no one would be able to clip his wings.

Turning off the stove, he poured the stir fry over the five plates of rice and began analyzing his team's areas of improvements. As individuals, they were all semi-capable. After him, Beast Boy had the most formal training, but his hand-to-hand needed a lot of work. He relied more on instinct rather than deliberation.

Raven, on the other hand, was too deliberate. She was better at legwork, so he planned to have her focus on kickboxing, which would hopefully prompt her to react faster than she would in choosing what strike to deliver. Still, she would always prefer to be on the defensive.

Controversially, Cyborg was as offensively driven as they came. Previously a football player, he was used to driving home his hits. That worked well with his strength, but Robin was hoping to refine his talents. He wanted his teammate to know how to hit rather than blindly swing, but he has a feeling the half-robot would always have a "act first, think later" sort of mentality.

Of them all (sans himself, of course), Starfire was the best combatant when it came to non-advantage fighting. She'd explained to him how she had trained with the Warlords of Okaara, and they apparently knew their stuff. He still remembered how surprised he'd been when they'd first squared off, and now knew too well that one shouldn't underestimate the beautiful redhead. However, she could become narrow-minded when facing an opponent and leave herself open for a surprise strike. He would have to work on directing her focus and drive towards the rest of her surroundings save for simply her opponent.

The battle with the H.I.V.E. had shown him that they all needed more practice functioning as a unit. Robin was at loathe to actually come up with specific battle plans or attack patterns (because even the best ones could fall apart in the fray); rather, he wanted to reach the point were they functioned so cohesively it was instinctual. But that sort of teamwork required lots and lots of practice: familiarizing yourself with each other's techniques, knowing what situation called for which member, being aware of where and what they were all doing at all times. And as the leader, it was his job to know when to direct and what order to give when the need arose. So maybe a few battle plans should be in place. If only he hadn't always sucked at forming contingencies.

"Oooh! What is that delicious odor wafting from the food preparation area?"

"It's called the kitchen, Star. And Rob must've cooked us up something after working our butts off!"

"It's the least he could do, dude. I'm pretty sure I'm black and blue all over!"

"Then why do you still look green to me?"

The four Titans entered, laughing and joking, and Robin smiled at them all before he cleared his throat to announce, "Dinner is ready!"

"Sweet, stir fry!" For an apparently bruised individual, Beast Boy certainly bounded over to the table quite fast. Raven's thoughts must have been venturing the same direction as his, for she met his masked eyes and rolled her own. He grinned and placed the mug of tea besides her plate.

She took her usual seat in the corner with a grateful nod. But the gratitude turned to disgust as soon as she took a sip. "This is sweet."

"It's sweet tea," Robin said with a smile, sliding into the side of the booth beside Starfire. As the sorceress shot him an inquiring glare, he explained, "You need the calories after all the training we did."

"Told yah it was a lot," the changeling murmured to Cyborg between spoonfuls of vegetarian stir fry.

"I don't need as many calories as you do, _Robin_." Their leader flinched at the icy way Raven stated his name.

"But friend, you are already eating a portion that is less in size than ours!" Starfire exclaimed with a bit of worry, noticing the substantial difference between hers and the others (Cyborg's was also substantially different, but on the other end of the spectrum).

"Because this is all I need."

"Aw, c'mon, Rae! Don't you wanna grow up to be big and strong like me?"

The look she gave the puffing half-robot beside her was a mixture of incredulity and anger. "...no."

Sighing, Robin finally relented. "Fine, Raven, drink whatever you want. I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

"Geeze, Raven, we know you're not sweet, but can't you at least drink it— _agh_!"

Beast Boy spluttered as his meal self-destructed in his face, causing Cyborg to cough up his own as he laughed. Some of it landed on Starfire's plate, who blasted it with a shriek. This in turn startled Raven so that Robin's own stir fry exploded, and before he knew it, they were all involved in a massive food fight. The redhead was yelling Tamaranean war cries, while the other girl was viciously attacking Cyborg and Beast Boy, whose alliance only lasted until the former sacrificed his teammate to Raven's wrath.

It wasn't until Robin was cleaning up the mess as the others showered and hit the sack that he thought wryly to himself, _So much for teamwork. Oh, well—there's always...wait, how did_ that _get on the ceiling?_


	4. Forces of Nature

**A/N: Went on an honor's retreat this past weekend (and fell way behind on my school work), so sorry I couldn't post this earlier. Here's a little Slade to make your day. Enjoy! And thanks to** **A-LionGleek** **for following and favoriting** ** _AtET_ , and to ar1992 for favoriting as well! :)**

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Season One, Episode Four: "Forces of Nature"

It was a dark night, and the graveyard seemed even darker. The moon struggled to shine through the clouds, and every now and then its white beams lit upon the tombstones. They also illuminated the tall figure walking amidst the dead. He was dressed in a long black overcoat, the collar pulled up around his scruffy neck. One dark blue eye took in his surroundings as his feet carried him to an old gnarled oak that stood guard over the grave he sought.

"Once again my plans have failed," the man said to the corpse despite knowing it could no longer answer. "I tried to burn this city to the ground, but its guardian angels saved it. Pity, I know. But there's always something to be gained in defeat, and I've gained quite nicely, if I do say so myself."

He crouched down as the wind picked up, rustling his starkly white hair, and continued talking. "Their leader has proven to be most...interesting. Of course, he left before the Dark Knight could finish training him, but that's just fine; it leaves him vulnerable and moldable. I know the contract is to destroy them, but there are different ways to tear a family apart besides for death. And without their precious leader, the Titans are pitiless children rather than superheroes."

The man hesitated before uttering his next words in a slightly less confident voice than before. "My goal is still to destroy the Teen Titans, but my plans have been altered. There is a different route I wish to take, seeing so much raw potential in Robin. ...he reminds me of you, in that way."

Pausing once again, he waited for a response that never came. "I know he can't replace you, but there's no one left to continue my legacy. And, no matter how weak it may sound, I'm lonely. An apprentice could perhaps fill the void while providing an actual purpose besides self-enjoyment. And after Robin has been properly trained, he can assist me in disposing of the rest of the Titans. I know you would understand..."

His words trailed off, and the man blinked once. The eyelashes of his empty right eye socket brushed against his eyepatch, and he abruptly stood to his feet. He left the grave, and his son did not say goodbye.


	5. The Sum of His Parts

**A/N: I really wish I had time to actually write so that I could finish the next chapter of _Surfacing Shadows_ , but I've got so much homework to catch up on its not even funny. Woke up early to write my tennis paper, and found the chance before class to post this. Enjoy! And thanks to xxBlackSoulxx for following and favoriting _AtET_! xD**

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Season One, Episode Five: "The Sum of His Parts"

"Time for show and tell!"

Various choruses of delight filled the room as the kids all raised their hands to be picked first. Laughing, their facilitator chose one of the various prosthetic limbs waving in the air. This one in particular was attached to a young dark-haired boy who eagerly raced to the front of the classroom as the rest groaned but looked on in interest.

"So John, what did you bring?"

"I brought this!" The boy raised a sports ball in his hand, but to their surprise, it was a football rather than the more familiar baseball.

"Why'd you bring a football?" Katie asked, swinging her legs so hard their facilitator briefly wondered if her left one was properly fastened and would not actually go flying off again. "You're on the baseball team!"

"I know, but this football is special," John told her and the rest of the group excitedly. "It was given to me by Cyborg!"

"Cool!"

"No way!"

"Neat!"

Over the exclamations came a loud scoff, and they looked at the freckled boy wearing a large frown. "He only said that _we_ could borrow it!"

John blushed lightly. "Well it's not like he's ever gonna come and get it back!"

"John, you know better than that. That would be stealing—and from a Teen Titan, nonetheless!"

The boy kicked his scuffed shoe on the ground and muttered, "Sorry, Miss Sarah."

"There's only one thing to be done," the blonde facilitator said, her stern demeanor fading as her blue eyes began to twinkle. "We'll just have to invite him to join our class so you can give it back!"

Cheers broke out, and even Chase looked pleased as he and John yelled, " _Cool_!" at the exact same time. The facilitator grinned, just as eager as the kids were. She'd always been searching for a reason to invite their biggest role model to speak with them, and here was the perfect excuse.

Besides, of all the members of the superhero team, Sarah Simms had always thought Cyborg was the cutest.


	6. Nevermore

**A/N: I have returned! Finally found a chance to update once more, but the next one might take longer since I don't have it written out yet. Hopefully I'll be able to get it done it a timely manner, though. For now, enjoy reading about when Raven started developing feelings for our favorite green bean. Also, shout-out to Sodamawesome for favoriting and following _AtET_ as well as favoriting me! xD**

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Season One, Episode Six: "Nevermore"

The pink cloaked girl skipped happily throughout her realm, humming and grinning with delight. She often was humming and grinning, but this time the tune was more joyful and the grin wider than normal. Jumping with a loud whoop, she easily shifted into an equally bright soul self. The Pink Raven took off past her realm and the vastness of Nevermore until she arrived at a golden pyramidal temple. The girl reemerged from the soul and hopped up the steps and through the door, growing even more gleeful as she passed by a certain nook in the wall while calling, "Fee! Hey, Fee, where'd you go? Gasp—are we playing hide and seek?"

"I wasn't planning on it," a voice nearly identical to hers called from deeper within the temple. "What brings you by, Happy?"

Happy floated down a few levels to where her fellow emotion stood in front of the cranny dedicated to their mother. "I like what you've done with the shrine—it's super pretty!"

"It's not a shrine, Happy," the purple cloaked girl replied, "it's a _temple_."

"Hee hee, not if you'd gotten the chance to meet him before Rae came by!"

"Meet who? Wait, is that it...no, not quite—"

" _Affection_ ," Happy whined. "You're not listening to me."

"Sorry, it's just that Raven has been rethinking her relationships in light of recent events, which means a lot of re-ordering for me."

"But this is _important_."

Sighing, the Purple Raven turned away from the dratted candlesticks to give the other her full attention. "Alright, I'm listening. Now who did I fail to meet?"

"B.B., of course!" Happy giggled and twirled on her toes. "You would just love him, Fee!"

"Oh really? What makes him so great?"

"Besides how green he is?"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Affection drolly stated, "And I thought that _I_ was affectionate."

"You are, silly! And that's why I know you're going to totally love him once you get to know him. Because..."

Happy paused, prompting the other to inquire, "Because what?"

"Because...he just makes us feel so _me_." Her smile grew dopey at the statement, which drew the other emotion up short.

"We may be able to turn this temple into a shrine yet," she murmured before looking back at the Pink Raven. "So what did you say his name was again?"


	7. Switched

**A/N: Good news—I'm back to writing again after a stint that was worse than writer's block (the well had just gone dry). Bad news—my stint was so prolonged all my documents on this site were deleted. Good news—I backed up all the chapters I had published, Bad news—this did not include the most recent chapter of _Surfacing Shadows_ that I had started. Good news—I finished mapping out the entire chapter. Bad news—gotcha! That's it for news.**

 **You should always try to end on a good note, eh? Thanks for sticking with me through my totally unfair update schedule, and shout-out to MythologyBookworm for following AtET! ^^**

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Season One, Episode Seven: "Switched"

Raven was trying hard not to regret willingly going to the mall with Starfire since she _had_ joined the sorceress in her morning meditation. But with each outfit she was forced to try on, her patience stretched thinner and thinner.

When the eighth frilly pink dress was presented to her, she finally had to put her foot down and state in a voice that brooked no argument, "No."

"Why not?" the redhead said with a pout.

Raven stood firm. "That's a dress that you would wear, not me."

As soon as the words had left her lips, she suddenly found herself on the receiving end of a bruising hug. "Oh, Friend Raven, please forgive me! I have been most selfish in not trying to place you within my thoughts of care!"

It took her a moment to realize that the Tamaranean was apologizing for not taking her into consideration, since she was heavily distracted by the fact that she was being _hugged_. A wave of remorse slammed through her, twisting her stomach into knots as she spit out, "I'll forgive you as soon as _you quit hugging me_."

"Eep!" Starfire quickly released her, and the blue-cloaked mage took a moment to reclaim her hold on her empathic powers. "Please, Raven, tell me what articles of clothing do you desire to wear?"

Since it probably wasn't very sporting of her to answer that it was what she already had on, Raven grudgingly admitted, "Blue's my favorite color."

"Hee hee hee, then I shall return shortly!"

She didn't bother to try and stop the taller girl as she took off, choosing instead to sit down in front of the changing room she'd no doubt be forced into once more. _Turn that frown upside-down!_ Happy giggled enthusiastically, and Raven grudgingly conceded that her emotional state could use some adjusting. After the earnestness that Starfire had put into her meditation (along with several hours), she should put forth the same.

It was just hard to match the redhead's bubbly excitement; in its wake, her own attempts fell flat and could be described as pitiful at best. But she really did enjoy spending time with Starfire. Around her, she felt like a part of the laughing group of children she'd never been allowed to join on Azarath. The other Titans also provided her with that sense of belonging. _Even Beast Boy._

The sorceress frowned. Where had that thought come from? Ever since the green teen had stumbled into her head, she couldn't seem to get him out. When they'd first met, she hadn't known how to handle the new wave of emotions surrounding her, especially those of the kid so eager for her attention. Overwhelmed, she'd hid her face behind her cloak and her shyness behind her snark. Beast Boy poked fun at everyone liberally once he felt his place within the team was strong enough, always seeming to need to test the waters, and once it became obvious she was his target, she'd gone on the defensive.

Of course, now she knew that he had never disliked her all along and had only been trying (rather miserably) to get to know her. But while that had been a relief, it had also left her even more confused that before. If his jokes and prying wasn't because he was trying to get rid of the "creepy witch girl", then why was all the attention focused on her rather than the others?

Cyborg and Starfire were easy to figure out, and Robin had been the first to include her even if he was reserved. Beast Boy, however, was too alien for her to understand (which was saying a lot considering they had an actual extraterrestrial on the team). His actions said one thing while his feelings said another; before Raven had gained practice keeping up the wall between her emotions and others, his had been the hardest to figure out even when it looked like he wore his heart on his sleeve. There was a wariness about him that reminded her of herself...yet why did he act so differently?

 _Well, he_ is _at liberty to do so,_ Knowledge pointed out, and a flicker of jealousy hit her before she soothed it away. Azar had taught her that jealousy served no purpose. Envying what others could do would not grant her the same abilities.

"Raven, I have found an outfit that I believe is more fitting of your taste. Please, try it on!"

Blinking, she took the proffered bundle of clothes and found herself expectantly shoved into the stall. Taking off her cloak while consciously making an effort not to sigh, Raven pulled on the black leggings and the dark blue shirt over her leotard before stepping back out.

Squealing in delight, Starfire yanked her towards the mirror while chattering, "Ooooh, Raven, you are absolutely stunning! This look is, I believe, very much 'you' and not me!"

Noticing the ripped design was a skull, Raven could not help but be impressed. "...at least it's not pink."

The Tamaranean laughed as in the mirror's reflection she caught a glimpse of the goth boy from Soto's. He was standing with a group of other darkly attired individuals and happened to glance up. His gaze lingered, and when she raised an eyebrow, he smiled and raised one in return. For some unthinkable reason, Raven suddenly felt the need to blush and ducked her head, desperately wishing for her hood.

"...and I am certain that Beast Boy will find you most attractive as well!"

"Wait, what?" Where the hell had the conversation gone while she'd been experiencing what had to be a sudden heatstroke?

"Oh, did you not realize? Beast Boy wishes to pummel you!"

The statement was actually less horrifying than the realization as to what the other girl had truly meant. "Beast Boy does _not_ have a crush on me."

Starfire quickly backtracked, thinking herself misunderstood. "Oh no, I do not mean in the physical manner, but in the—"

"I know what you meant!" Her hair was beginning to go haywire, and she tried to calm down. "And the fact still stands that Beast Boy definitely has no romantic feelings toward me! Don't you think I would be the first to know?"

Raven couldn't help being a bit offended by the incredulous look the redhead gave her. "I am sorry, I did not mean to upset you. I merely believed you and Beast Boy might make a good couple—"

" _What_?!"

"Now _this_ is a blackout sale!" one of the teenagers shouted in glee as all the light bulbs burst at once.


	8. Deep Six

**A/N: Finally, I update! Started re-watching the series for the billionth time so that I could work on this fic once more. Going to watch "Masks" right after posting this, and I've forced myself to write each short _before_ I continue watching the show. Thanks to everyone who's still interested, lol. _Surfacing Shadows_ is definitely on hold for now. Sorry for the absence of Aquaman,  will riviera, but I hope you enjoy this nonetheless!**

 **And shout-out to AlYannie for following _AtET_! (:)**

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Season One, Episode 8: "Deep Six"

Meeting Aqualad had been a comforting experience. After Starfire's inane comment about the perceived crush Beast Boy had on her, it reassured Raven to know that she was in no manner physically attracted to him, like she admittedly had been with Aqualad.

Tall, long hair, endlessly dark eyes: the boy definitely appealed to her sense, and she found no shame in admitting a fact.

After spending approximately two minutes "giggling" over him with the other red-haired girl as they all walked back into the Tower, Raven went back to being stoic as usual. Robin was pleased to have a new recruit, especially since Aqualad came from the same former-sidekick-stock that he did. Cyborg was pleased with how the T-ship had turned out, and Beast Boy was pleased that he'd won the aquatic race, meaning she had to snark that Aqualad had no doubt let him win.

The changeling narrowed his eyes and shot back, "At least I wasn't fangirling over him."

"He's hot, you're not; try not to be jealous."

"Psh, as if! We all know I'm devilishly handsome, so don't be afraid to admit it, Rae."

"So I'm afraid to admit you're handsome but not to admit Aqualad is?" She rolled her eyes. "That makes sense."

"Only if you've got a crush on me," he sang back, waggling his eyebrows.

"As if," the sorceress mocked back before melting into the ground to reappear in her room. She slapped her cheeks and ordered them to stop blushing. Beast Boy's stupid accusation only got to her because it reminded her of what Starfire had said before. And if there was anything more dumb than Beast Boy having a crush on her, it would be her having a crush on him.

But recalling his earlier jealous behavior with Aqualad suddenly worried her. He...he couldn't possibly be jealous that she found the Atlantean attractive...could he? Raven concluded that it was an irrational train of thought to go down. He'd been competitive probably because of some deeper worry, the same worry that seemed to cling to him no matter how jovial he was acting.

Ugh, what was wrong with her? Too much Beast Boy was bad for the brain cells. Deciding that some meditation might clear her head, she settled in and began her mantra just as a timid knock sounded at her door. Irked at being interrupted, she slid it open a crack, already muttering a short, "What."

"Oh, Raven!" squeaked the same green Titan she was trying to get off her mind, as if he hadn't been expecting her to answer even though this was the door to her room. Maybe she should put a sign on it, coupled with a warning to stay out? "Um, I just wanted to, uh...y'know, say sorry for—I mean if I, y'know...made you, er, feel uncomfortable b-by implying, ugh, that you..."

Her confused frown melted away with understanding. _I wonder if Starfire set him up to this._ "This is completely unnecessary, Beast Boy, since your claim was utterly ridiculous on top of being false."

He winced slightly, and Raven worried for a moment that she'd been too harsh (he had come here to apologize). "You're right! I was just being silly, as usual, ha ha ha! No way would you have a crush on me. It's not like I can measure up to a stud like Aqualad, right?"

The nervous laughter continued, but her frown had returned, as it contrasted that deep-set worry and rising fear.

"Well, I'll just leave you to it. Later, Raven!"

"Wait." She wasn't quite sure what compelled her to stop him as she fully opened the door; maybe it was because she finally recognized the familiarity of his emotional state. "I didn't mean to imply that Aqualad's preferable to you. You're a valuable member of this team, but you're irreplaceable because you're my friend."

Those dark green eyes widened in surprise, and Raven felt the change even as he smirked and said, "Irreplaceable, huh?"

"Ugh, forget I said anything."

She moved to retreat make into her room, but Beast Boy stopped her. "Hey, wait a sec! Uh, we're about to have lunch...do you want me to make you a pot of tea?"

Now it was her turn to be shocked, and touched. Flushing just slightly (but only because his uncharacteristic thoughtfulness startled her), she replied, "Um, sure. Thanks."

The fanged grin he gave her as she stepped out into the hallway to join him made Affection fervently begin giggling, but Raven refused to find it attractive.


	9. Masks

**A/N: Another speedy update! I don't want to promise they'll continue, but I can say that I'll try. Thanks to** **Soccerfan2014 , IWantAHarem, ThrowawayName, and ZadArchie for following _AtET_ , and to ****titanlove1023 and ****Astrallum for also favoriting it too! Hope you guys along with all my other readers enjoy. :D**

* * *

Season One, Episode Nine: "Masks"

 _Whoever Slade is, you and he are...similar._ _Slade did not trust you, and you did not trust us._

Starfire's earlier statement had really gotten to him. He didn't want to be like Slade—hell, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with him other than bring him down. But there was a truth to her words...a truth he couldn't deny, though he could still prove that fundamentally they were different.

Robin cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence that had existed since he'd arrived for dinner. His team paused in whatever stage of movement they'd been performing but did not look at him, which allowed him to stare down at the table while he apologized. "I've already apologized to all of you for creating Red X. I've admitted that it was a mistake, one I don't plan on repeating. But I also want to say sorry for something else...for not trusting you guys."

He felt their eyes fall upon him at that, but he refused to look up, fearing their reaction. "Maybe if I'd been honest with everyone, I would've been talked out of it and we'd have come up with a better way to catch Slade. It hasn't been that long since we founded the Titans, but we are a team, and that means working together instead of going it alone. I know it'll take some time to regain your trust, but I'll work at it. I just...I just want you guys to know that you have mine. Always."

Taking a deep breath, the boy lifted his head and to his shock found nothing but smiles greeting him. His surprise must have been obvious to them all, as Beast Boy clapped a hand on his shoulder and said, "You're forgiven, dude."

"Yeah, we're cool."

"Indeed, friend!"

"...what they said."

"What?" he floundered, still incredulous at this development. "That—that's it?"

"We all make mistakes, man," Cyborg said with a grin. "That's how we know we're human."

"And it's a relief to know that even our fearless leader's not perfect," teased the changeling.

As his masked gaze landed on Starfire, her bright eyes shone as she told him, "To mend an issue, one must first admit that it exists. I am joyous that you have done so, for now the mending can begin."

Robin finally smiled back, amazed at her—er, their—easy acceptance of his faults. Being a hero meant always winning, which meant never screwing up. It meant that he had to be perfect, to always do the right thing. But even now, despite his betrayal, they welcomed him back. They weren't kicking him off the team. They...they still _wanted_ him.

Oh man, was he tearing up? Before he could do something completely mortifying (like sniff), Raven finally spoke up. "You said you'd work on gaining our trust back, right?"

Her mischievous smirk made it obvious that she wasn't still holding a grudge, but he didn't like it all the same. "Um—"

The green teen giggled with glee. "You sure did, dude! So what're we gonna make him do?"

"Wait, _make_?"

"I am having one of the ideas!" the redhead interjected, joining in. "Robin, on the occasions of the night of movies, you must join us!"

"Huh?"

"Yeah man! No more skulking in your cave of darkness."

He sputtered and glared at Cyborg as he insisted a bit too loudly, "My office is _not_ a cave!"

"Dude, if Raven joins us for movie night, then you definitely have t—agh!" Beast Boy cut off as a burst of dark energy sent him flying out of his chair.

Looking him dead in the eye, the sorceress intoned, "This is mandatory."

Gulping, the teen wonder nodded weakly, leading Starfire to squeal with joy and fly across the table to proceed with crushing him to death. The half-robot shared a high five with his best friend once he came back, pouting and giving Raven a side-eye. Feeling as though his leadership and control were being usurped, Robin tried to content himself with the fact that this would be a good bonding activity for them to undertake.

The thought didn't help him that much when the redhead gleefully informed him that, as it was her turn next, she'd already chosen the "digital video disc" entitled _From the Pig Pen to the Blanket: A Hot Dog Documentary_.


	10. Mad Mod

**A/N: I'm back with another short! Thanks to kinkywatersprite for following both _AtET_ and _Surfacing Shadows_ , as well as thanks to several others: AitoNakita for following _AtET_ as well,  owlcitylover and NATSUxERZA 123456 for favoriting it, and mhaya, LunaHighElf10, and Alys22 for following AND favoriting it! Hope you all enjoy. (^_^)**

* * *

Season One, Episode Ten: "Mad Mod"

"Ha, take that!" Beast Boy crowed as he defeated _nolif4eva_ with Mega and Mini Monkey's special attack combo. "That move is sooo gonna bring Cy down next time we play."

A knock sounded on his door, prompting him to decline the rematch as he stared in its direction skeptically. It didn't sound like Robin's sharp rapping nor Starfire's timid tapping, and his best friend tended to just shout out his name after the disaster with Raven's door. Speaking of the cloaked girl, she was the only possibility left, but that was still impossible! She never even passed by his door; it was like she made a concentrated effort to avoid it (and the foul odor she claimed was always emanating from it).

So, because it couldn't possible be any of the Titans, he really couldn't be blamed for throwing the door open while he brandished his controller like it was an actual weapon. "I'm armed and totally dangeraaagh! Raven!"

"Beast Boy," she drily replied, raising an eyebrow at the squeak in his voice and the Gamestation control pad an inch from her face. "This is the normal way you greet people?"

"Ah, um, I, you..." he floundered, throwing the controller back towards his bunk bed as a blush rose up his throat. "What are you doing here?" _And why the heck does my voice keep squeaking?!_

"Revenge."

"I'm sorry!" the boy blurted out as he started running through everything he'd done the past couple of days to upset her. "Salt and sugar just look so much alike!"

"I'm not talking about—wait, that was _you_?"

Too late Beast Boy realized that Raven was not referring to him. Flinching back from her glowing white eyes, he laughed nervously and hedged, "Ahhh...no?"

Taking a deep breath, the sorceress put aside the matter for now. "Never mind, I'm not here for you anyway. I'm here for Cyborg."

"Wait, what'd Cy do?"

"Remember how he got you to laugh when you'd been hypnotized for the third time?"

Being reminded of how easy Mad Mod had rendered him useless had him frowning in protest. "Hey, it's my animal instincts fault!" Seeing how unimpressed she was, he grumbled, "But I still don't get it. All he did was pull a wet willy on you."

"A what?"

Now it was his turn to be unimpressed. "A wet willy. Y'know, one of the oldest pranks in the book, when you lick your finger and stick it in someone's ear?"

Her upper lip curled back. "So _that's_ what it's called?"

The disgust in her voice was almost palpable, and it made Beast Boy grin. "Geeze, Raven, you really don't get out much, do you?"

"I'm too busy meditating to keep hold of the patience you keep trying," she snarked back, partly so he wouldn't know how close to home his comment struck, partly so she could ignore the effect of his efficacious grin, and partly so he'd quit being annoying.

Raven's comment achieved its desired results, as he pooched his lips at her before asking, "So, is this just some good, old, clean, dirty fun? And I thought I was the irresponsible one here."

"You are. I want to get back at Cyborg and Cyborg _alone_ , which is why I'm asking for your...help."

It didn't matter how pained she had looked while doing so, she'd asked for his help! His! The green Titan tried to keep the glee from his voice as he asked in a faux serious tone, "Well, today's your lucky day, ma'am! Beast Boy, professional prankster extraordinaire, is at your service. What type of practical joke would you like to be performing?"

She wanted to smile but rolled her eyes instead. "What sort of thing does sticking a saliva-coated finger in your unreceptive ear warrant?"

The grin remained as he corrected, "A wet willy, do you mean?"

"I am _not_ calling it that," the blue-cloaked girl stated with a flat stare.

Chuckling, he stroked his chin and ignored her quiet, "Azar, help me," as he put his devious mind to work. "Hmmm...the most appropriate form of payback would be replying in kind."

"You mean giving him a—doing to him what he did to me?"

"Or something that's pretty much the same thing. Though you can't pull a purple nurple on Cy cause, y'know..." Her arched brow told him that she did not know. "Geeze, Rae, you don't know what a purple nurple is, either? Where'd you go to school?"

"An alternate dimension," she joked. That was a joke, right? Except Raven never joked. "Anyway, forget it; there's no way in hell I'm going to do something so horrifically disgusting."

"So wet willies are Rae-Rae's only weakness?"

"That and annoying boys the color of asparagus."

"Hey!" he squeaked, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "I'll have you know that I'm much closer to an avocado, which stands for _awesomeness_ , by the way."

Slightly confused, she pointed out, "Asparagus starts with an 'a' too."

"Which stand for awful, duh."

This time she had to turn away so he wouldn't catch her slight smirk. "I'll leave you to your juvenile form of digital entertainment, and give Cyborg a free pass this time. But don't think that gives you any."

Trying to stifle his stupid blush—which came from being compared to a nasty vegetable and not from how Raven apparently could approximate the shade of his skin—Beast Boy was suddenly hit with the single most greatest idea of all time. "Wait, Raven, I've got it!"

* * *

"I need money for a maintenance issue."

Robin looked up at Cyborg from his files in surprise. "Really? What's the damage?"

"Oh, the device is irreparable. But it only costs like $40."

The masked teen paused from pulling out the proper order form. "That's pretty cheap to replace an entire...what is it exactly that needs replacing again?"

"A controller."

The statement was filled with too much nonchalance, which immediately raised his suspicions. "A controller for what, exactly?"

"The computer program console that electronically manipulates images on our main display screen." He just narrowed his eyes in an admittedly weak impression of his mentor's glare, and the other Titan sighed loudly before muttering, "It's for the Gamestation, alright?"

"And how is that a maintenance issue?" Robin groused, already preparing to put the form back.

"Hey, it was malfunctioning!" Cyborg rubbed that back of his head as the younger boy continued to give him the stink-eye. "The joysticks weren't responding; there was a .5 second delay with both of them! You were there— _Beast Boy_ won like five times in a row! Isn't that enough proof for you?"

Remembering how he'd traded glances with Raven earlier that day, who hadn't seemed to turn a page in the time Beast Boy and Cyborg had begun playing yet still kept her hand raised, Robin shrugged and told his friend, "Can't help you out, Cy."

"Awww, c'mon, man!" he pleaded, desperate to reclaim his high score from the smug green twerp. "What's the big deal? If you write it down in tech talk the way I phrased it, City Hall shouldn't have an issue!"

"I'm not worried about City Hall having an issue," his leader snorted before letting out a convincing shudder. "I'm worried about _Raven_."

"What's Rae got to do with...oh, oh _no_ she didn't!"

Robin clapped a hand on Cyborg's metallic shoulder and told him, "Next time, find another way to amuse Beast Boy." When he received a horrified glance in return, he lifted his hands and clarified, "Just passing along the message."

"Damn..." the half-robot groaned, looking quite sorry for himself. "Guess I know why B was so smug."

"Because he won five times in a row?" he couldn't help but tease with a smirk.

"Nah—because he got _Raven_ to play a video game."


	11. Car Trouble

**A/N: Fellow TT writer ZadArchie (go check out ****_So Coal Black Grew the Elder One_ , cause I like it a lot and I have excellent taste and so do you cause you're here, aren't you?) recently brought to my attention the admittedly large disparity in the length of my chapters, so I'm shooting for a ballpark that is now somewhere between 1,200-1,500 words. This episode almost tops out at 1,440 with some good ole fashioned fluff between two of my fav characters, Cyborg and Raven. Their potential romantic relationship was fleshed out in one story I read, and it was actually so great that it made me ship them on the down low (cause BBRae still ultimate OTP of the series, but I guess this can be read as Cy/Rae if you squint)** **. xD**

 **Shout-out to** **Allen Blaster for favoriting and following _AtET_!**

 **SEMI-IMPORTANT NOTE—Begins right after the episode ends, so a grease-streaked Raven has just shot Cyborg a wide smile after he handed her the socket wrench and closed the hood of the T-Car.**

* * *

Season One, Episode Eleven: "Car Trouble"

Cyborg grinned back at Raven and asked, "Wanna take her out for a spin?"

Her smile faded as she replied, "Sure. I'll get the rest of the team."

"Actually, I was thinking it could be just you and me."

"Really?"

"Really," he chuckled. "You never did tell me where you wanted to go."

She knew she was blushing slightly as she handed him back the socket wrench, but she didn't feel the need to raise her hood like she did with the others (one green other specifically). "We can check out my favorite dark, depressing café if you want." He raised his eyebrow, leading her to explain, "It's how Starfire describes it."

"That's our girl for you." Putting the tool away, Cyborg grabbed the rag and swiped at her cheek to remove the streak of grease, making the sorceress blush harder to his barely concealed amusement. "Well, I did say I'd take you anywhere you wanted to go, so hop in, grease monkey."

The teasing comment turned her flush into a scowl as she raised her hood irritably, which only made the young man laugh as he walked over to enter the car. She followed suit, trying to convince herself she was already regretting this as the engine they'd just installed roared to life. "Call me that again, and this'll be the last time I help you with your car."

"I didn't know there'd be a next time," he replied as they pulled out of the garage into the underwater tunnel that lead to the mainland. "And she's more like our car now."

Raven snorted at that and tapped the slot on the dash where his circuit-key had been inserted. "I don't do babies, and she's still yours."

"You'd make a great mom, gurl! Those kids would be kept in line."

Lowering her hood as she rolled down the windows, she saw the perfect opportunity for revenge. She kept her gaze directed outside and said in a dead-pan voice, "Is that some sort of proposition?"

"Wha?! No way!" Cyborg sputtered before he noticed her small smirk. "Ha ha, very funny. 'sides, B would kill me."

"What's Beast Boy got to do with any of this?"

"Ah, nothing! So, where're we heading exactly?"

Glaring slightly at his abrupt change of subject, she directed him towards the Dark Roast Café. The blue-cloaked mage lead her fellow teammate inside as he excitedly rambled about how well his baby was handling in mechanical jargon that she only half-understood. Taking a seat at her usual table in the corner, she hummed in all the right places, offering a faint smile here and there in agreement or an eye-roll in opposition.

Unlike Starfire or Beast Boy, the half-robot noticed her lack of words but was content with her silence, knowing he still held her attention. Robin was the same in that regard, but he wasn't much of a talker either. She hadn't expected to enjoy working on the T-Car with him so much, and had offered to help mainly as a form of apology for her earlier clear disdain of the vehicle as well as for the prank she'd pulled on him with Beast Boy (which, having yet to beat the new high score, he had taken to subtly mentioning throughout the week in a passive-aggressive manner that suited herself more so than him and which she'd been ignoring for the most part).

But Cyborg—despite being the changeling's best friend—had great maturity, and also unlike Beast Boy was content with periods of silence, especially when he was immersed in his work. He never pressed her for more when she was unwilling to add, teased lightly but never pushed too hard, and Raven found that she really enjoyed spending time with him. Perhaps that's why she felt the urge to bring him with her to her favorite café, to share a piece of herself the way he'd shared one with her. And perhaps, in doing so, find someone who understood her?

"Hey, Raven," came a familiar monotone voice, and she looked up to see Goth Boy standing by, ready to take their order.

"Hey," she greeted him in return, handing him the menu with no need to browse through it. "I'll have the usual."

He nodded, jotting it down before turning to give Cyborg a flat stare. "And for you?"

"Hmm...y'all got any _real_ food? Like steak?"

"Uh, no." Goth's stare was growing less impressed by the second, and his gaze flickered to her as he raised his single visible eyebrow as if asking, _Where'd you pick this guy up?_

The sorceress quirked her shoulders in response to the unspoken question before turning to her companion. "Get the flan, you'll like it."

"You're the boss, Rae," he grinned. "The flan, please."

"It'll probably take a minute," their server replied with an uncommon amount of flippancy before he turned back to her. "Yours'll be right out."

"Thanks." As the teenager walked, she looked over to see Cyborg still grinning. "What."

"Seems you got an admirer."

"Who?" For a dreaded moment, Raven thought he meant Beast Boy but then realized that was ludicrous (as Cyborg wasn't a naïve alien princess and as his best friend he'd know for sure that the changeling did not like her). "Are you talking about Goth Boy?"

"That's his name?!" he crowed much too loudly for this establishment, and she shot him a glare to shut him up.

"How would you know he's into me? You just met him."

"Are you kidding, Rae? The dude sending out vibes of dislike from the instant he saw me. Did he even take down my order?"

"He's always like that," she dismissed.

It didn't put the other Titan off. "Not to you, he ain't."

There wasn't a chance to reply as the teen in question was already returning with her order. "One jasmine tea. Wanna make any musical requests?"

"I'm good."

"You sure?"

One eyebrow rose despite herself. "Yeah, thanks."

"Yo, man, how long you think the flan will be?"

Goth turned towards Cyborg with notable reluctance. "It'll probably take a minute."

"I know, that's what you said earlier—"

"Then I don't need to repeat myself." He turned back to Raven, and his mascara-laden lashes wavered in what could not possibly be a flutter. "You need anything else, Raven?"

"Uh, no."

"You sure?"

The second eyebrow joined the first. "Yes, I am."

After he'd finally left, Cyborg let out the cackle he'd been holding in. "Told ya so!"

"Shut up," she growled.

To her pleasant surprise, he did quiet down, only to ask her, "What's the problem? You're not interested in him? Too much make-up?"

Violet eyes rolled upwards at his jock-like assumption (for all his maturity, she was reminded that he had been a football player). "That's not the problem. It'd just be too...complicated." At his questioning gaze, she briefly stated, "With my powers," before taking a sip of her tea.

He didn't push, for which she was eternally grateful. Instead, he changed the subject as he asked with a smirk, "So, you _do_ like show tunes?"

Fighting off both the urge to blush and the urge to zap Cyborg out the window, the blue-cloaked mage calmly replied, "My favorite is 'No One Mourns the Wicked' from _Wicked_."

He was shocked, and she waited for it to wear off and turn into laughter. But he shocked her in return by giving her a genuine smile as he stated, "For me it has to be 'You Can't Win' from _The Wiz_. Who can measure up to MJ?"

They spent the rest of the time debating which adaptation of _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ —which they had both read to the other's surprise—had the best songs, which devolved into a debate about their themes. Goth finally brought out the flan just as Cyborg decided to have the other patrons settle their dispute. And as the jukebox belted out show tunes while Raven was forced to watch her friend embarrass both of them with his dancing on the stage from beneath her hood, she decided she couldn't regret inviting him along despite her best attempts to.

 _Or his_ , she tacked on as he cut a move with a triumphant, "Boo-yah!"


End file.
